Pharmacists’ Defence Association (PDA) chairman Mark Koziol has been appointed president of the new European Pharmacists’ Association (EPA), the body announced today.
The EPA was officially launched during a meeting of nine national pharmacist representative bodies in Katowice, Poland, on October 15 and 16 and will work on “issues that directly affect the workforce in Europe”.
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The PDA said the new organisation will “advocate for improved working conditions and greater professional recognition for pharmacists”.
And it said a successful European pharmacist association “will inevitably strengthen the PDA’s ability to exert influence in the UK with policy makers and governments”.
The EPA’s other member nations are Ireland, Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, Poland, Romania and Sweden.
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The PDA said the EPA will have a “strong research and knowledge-generation foundation” that aims to turn evidence about pharmacists’ “unique skills” and hopes into national and international policies and professional standards.
“The PDA will use its leading position to ensure this work reflects the challenges facing UK pharmacists and delivers improvements members can experience in their working lives,” it said.
Among the EPA’s areas of focus are improved conditions of employment, vaccination and public health, “responsible” use of AI, education development and interprofessional collaboration, the body added.
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Koziol said he is “proud” that the PDA has been chosen to hold the first presidency.
“The successful launch of the EPA and our key role in its direction of travel will result in the PDA being able to exert greater influence with policymakers not just in Europe, but importantly, also with the governments in the UK,” he said.
Koziol added that by working with colleagues across Europe, each national body becomes “stronger as we work to reduce the levels of burnout” among members.
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“As the largest and most relevant pharmacist leadership body for pharmacists in the UK, we will do our utmost to drive the collective benefits for those UK pharmacists at the coal face of pharmacy practice.”
It comes after the PDA confirmed earlier this month that a range of Boots pharmacy roles are in line for a pay rise from November 1.
And it follows the body publishing guidance in August on the “safe and effective use of AI in pharmacy practice”.
